Category: Music

REVIEW: Next to Normal

Kayla Silverstein

In an audience of musical theatre majors, my three friends and I sat to watch a small cast of six put on a musical we’d all hoped to see, called “Next to Normal.” There was very little publicity for the event, and it was pure chance that we found out they were even doing it. I’m so glad we did because it was yet another fantastic evening of musical-wonderfulness for me!

“Next to Normal” tells the story of a dysfunctional family dealing with the turmoil of everyday life. The mother of the family is a bipolar/schizophrenic character who struggles with coping, the father of the family is in denial of pretty much everything, and the sister has to deal with regular teenage angst while being raised by two struggling, and mostly absent, parental figures. The mother’s character was, as I’m sure you can tell by her description, a definite challenge, but Chelsea Wilson was absolutely amazing. She pulled off crazy so unbelievably well. Everyone was just cast so perfectly, like C.J. Eldred as the role of Gabe and Ted Stevenson as Dan, I could hardly believe it.

Complaints bring color to a review, but I’m seriously struggling here. It was long? Yeah, 2 and a half hours, I’d say, and a few of the songs dragged, like the saga “I miss the mountains.” Unfortunately, I couldn’t just press skip this time when it came on.

The passion of the show exploded off the stage for sure, and I felt the musical shift perspectives constantly, from mother, to son, to daughter, to father. The lighting would tilt and change its tone as the melodies would lift and fall. It’s one thing to hear the recording bajillions of times, and an absolute other thing to see it performed in front of you. I’ll never hear THAT recording the same way again.

It was such a great show, and I’m so so glad I have friends who are more informed than I to tell me what is going on in the distant woods of north campus. If you read this in time, go tomorrow night!

REVIEW: Take Six: New Jazz Compositions

nina.j

I learned about “Take Six” from a musician friend who plays piano for the ballet class following mine. After class last week, I asked  if he had any gigs coming up and he informed me of this innovative performance happening at the UMMA. On Saturday, February 17th, the museum held a musical progressive called “Take Six: New Jazz Compositions.” The museum was staged with six musical sets; six combinations of musicians played six original compositions inspired by six works of art in the University’s collection. The audience progressed from stage to stage at ten minute intervals, experiencing an hour’s worth of varied pieces. A kind of musical chairs, literally. Better yet, the set repeated itself four times throughout the afternoon. So if you missed any composition in the rotation, there was opportunity to catch it a second, third, or fourth time. Now that’s some repetitive Phillip Glass stuff right there.

I stayed for one full round of playing. Because of that, however, I think I missed the full affect of the progressive. The pieces remain the same, yet each iteration is unique in its rendition. The spaces the sets occupied included the Apse near the main entrance, the Forum near the gift shop, the Commons across from Angell Hall, and two floors of the Vertical Gallery near the DialogueTable. It would have been ideal to stage the performances beside the pieces that inspired them, but that would have been spatially challenging, especially since the last is no longer on display.

A progressive is a curious and interactive manner of experiencing artwork in its various forms. The performance format inspired dynamic conversation both between the audience and the musicians, as well as the musicians and the artists each chose as his muse. Instrumental reflections of brushstrokes and color pallets included drums, piano, bass, saxophone, clarinet, flute, trombone, and more. The combinations were written and performed by students and faculty from the School of Music’s Jazz Department.

The entire project was clearly a demonstration of strong talent and commitment. It seemed to be hard work to prepare, but a breeze to partake in. All the audience had to do was heed the shepherd’s call and meander with the flock. Easy following, easy listening. Personally, I truly enjoyed the event. Wandering about the art museum with the soundtrack to my visual experiences playing aloud for all to hear, what better way to spend a Saturday afternoon?

Below are images of the six auricular-visual pairings, to give you an idea of what you can’t see or hear from where you’re sitting.

Boyhood of Lincoln by Eastman Johnson

on view in the gallery of European & American Art

Inspired The Boy Lincoln by Keaton Royer

Shrine Figure (edjo) by Akpojivi of Orhokpko, Nigeria

on view in the gallery of African Art

Inspired The Spirit of the People by Alekos Syropoulos


Twilight by Dwight William Tryon

on view in the gallery of European & American Art

Inspired Something Hidden by Kevin McKinney

The Dead Soldier by Jospeh Wright of Derby

on view in the gallery of European Art (1650-1830)

Inspired The Mourning Widow by Demetrius Nabors

Smoke Rings June 14, 2001 by Donald Sultan

on view in the Vertical Gallery

Inspired Smoke Rings by Sam Crittenden

Sparrow on a Bamboo Branch by Kanô Gyokuraku

Japanese Art, currently not on view

Inspired Sparrows by Ryan Wolfe

REVIEW: Chiddy Bang’s “Breakfast”

Hannah Weiner 1 Comment

Chiddy Bang doesn’t need to “Mind [Their] Manners;” for a debut album, Breakfast is quite the start. Having already leaked “Mind Your Manners,” “Baby Roulette,” and “Ray Charles,” the rest of the songs on the album frame these pre-released tracks as the stars of the album, yet aren’t entirely outshined. The duo released their album online at midnight on Monday, and quickly reached the top 10 on iTunes.

Image courtesy of 5starhiphop.com
Image courtesy of 5starhiphop.com

Those who are acquainted with Chiddy Bang already understand their formula for catchy party songs – a sample of an artist with a cult-following and Chiddy’s insane flow. However, this album not only showcases the group’s talent, but also their musical intellectualism; listening to Breakfast is like changing radio stations quickly: we get a sense of American music through their variance in sampling different genres. Sampling Ray Charles is a risky feat to take on, but in the spirit of “Otis” by Kanye and Jay-Z, Chiddy Bang manages to take a retro song and make it their own.

“Mind Your Manners” is undoubtedly one of my favorite tracks from the album and also one that I’m familiar with since it was released in June of 2011. Yet listening to it merged with the rest of the songs in the album gives it a different meaning, and I appreciate the child-like, high-pitched sample of Icona Pop’s “Manners.” “Out 2 Space” gives a shout-out to Birmingham, Michigan’s elite private school, Cranbrook, so as a Michigander and a metro-Detroiter, I felt obligated to give this track a few more listens than usual.

Overall, Xaphoon and Chiddy have established their spot in American hip-hop with Breakfast, proving that they’re professionals when it comes to sampling any type of genre.

Chiddy Bang’s Breakfast is available on iTunes for $7.99!

REVIEW: Spring Awakening

Kayla Silverstein

There are those musicals that are frivolous; the ones that of course you still enjoy, but you leave saying, “Oh, that was cute!” Some leave you cross-eyed, uttering, “What did I just watch?” Then, there is Spring Awakening where you leave physically hurting, the tension of the show washing over you in waves, long after the final chords have faded away. A musical that can make you feel the magic of intimacy, the pain of betrayal, and the beauty of the human existence can be deemed unbelievable, I suppose, but even that is sort of vague and nonspecific. It was awesome, let’s call it that.

I’ve seen the show before and heard the music thousands of times; however, the School of Musical Theatre here produces and attracts such remarkable talent that I could honestly say that I’d never heard the show like those students performed it last night. Conor Ryan, as previously seen in Caberet last semester, was an extremely impressive male lead playing the character of Melchior, a “radical” who goes against the grain of the 1890s German society of restrictions, regulations, and rules against young adolescents. His acting and vocal talent is postively flawless. Erika Peterson played the female lead, Wendla, with remarkable flourish and a moving vocal performance. I would honestly say I’d rather see her play the role again than ever watch Lea Michele as Wendla, as made famous from the show Glee but previously debuted the role of Wendla on Broadway. Granted, I have only heard Michele sing the songs; however, I truly loved Peterson’s voice for the part and thought she was spectacular. Her body language when she performed was so timid yet powerful as she spent most of the show, shoulders hunched and hands laced over her stomach. It’s a hard thing to describe and I’m sort of struggling here, but just trust me when I say it worked; it just worked.

My favorite performer of the show, if I had to choose, would be Ryan Vasquez in the role of Moritz, another male lead playing side-by-side as best friend of Melchior (Conor Ryan). I loved him in the role so much and afterwards, I could not get his interpretation of the song “Don’t do Sadness” out of my head. If you haven’t seen the show, this is not going to make much sense, but he added a bunch of rifts to the song that gave it a newer and more desperate quality. I got chills. The torment of his character was evident in every movement of his body and the songs he sang. I cried at the beginning and the end for poor Moritz.

After the show ended, I wanted desperately to close my eyes, rewind time, and just watch the show over and over. It’d only been about four years since I’d first seen the show, but in no way was I numb to the passion of this show. I hope that everyone has the opportunity to see Spring Awakening at some point because it is just so phenomenal of a musical that everyone is bound to find something they adore within its contents.

REVIEW: Calvin Forbes

Kayla Silverstein

Last night, I walked into the beautiful Museum of Art here, or as I like to call it the UMMA (pronounced OOO-MAHH). I didn’t know much about Mr. Forbes, other than that he was a poet, a good one at that, and a professor. I also knew he liked jazz because I had to look that up for my preview, but that was about it.

Calvin Forbes was probably the funniest and most chill poet I’ve ever met. He oozed jazz – not like the music, but the rhythm of jazz. Even when he wasn’t reading one of his poems and just telling us about his life, he spoke with a lyrical style that came so naturally to him, it was really fantastic to listen to.

His poem topics range mostly from his experiences through childhood, the love he felt for his mother, and the nostalgia he expresses on how times have changed. Growing up in New York, for example, he remembers using the Twin Towers as a landmark that could always help him find his way back to his neighborhood. He walks the streets of NYC with his head down now because the absence of those buildings is too emotional for him. The death of his parents was a similar experience he writes about it, and the love he felt for them is expressed in all of his poems.

It’s funny because when Mr. Forbes first got going, I thought he was a really peaceful kind of man. He seemed to really be at one with himself, know where he’s going, and where he’s been. I do believe that remains true; however, I’ve come to the conclusion that there is a deep sadness in Mr. Forbes. He recalls the past with great longing and beautiful memories, and I think he sincerely misses his childhood. His sadness is nothing but expected, as I’m sure he’s been through far more than I have in my 19 years.

All and all, a great poetry reading. The room we were in was the auditorium in the museum, and the sound was so good and the lighting was extremely relaxing. It was a really inspiring night for me, as a writer and a poetry enthusiast. It was my pleasure to hear Calvin Forbes read, and I’d be sure to go to one of his readings again if I had the chance.

REVIEW: Mock Rock 2012

Kayla Silverstein

Oh my goodness. I had such a blast at Mock Rock last night. For those that don’t know, Mock Rock is an annual fundraiser to raise money for several awesome organizations, like student athletes volunteering for social change, Mott’s Children’s Hospital, and a few others I don’t quite remember. The actual event is a variety show, put on by the student athletes, which includes dance numbers, skits, and even a little bit of singing. It was, in a word, amazing.

I’m really bummed because I was so engrossed in what was happening on stage, I completely forgot to take notes on my favorite acts! I do of course remember the men’s swim team – in all their Speedo and fabulous abbed-glory, stripping for all the drooling ladies in the audience. I remember the marching band did an adorable rendition of several Justin Bieber songs while the storyline of the music video was supposed to be how this guy, the actual drum major, couldn’t fit in anywhere at UM, so he decides to try marching band. It was sooo precious (and our drum major is pretty much the cutest thing ever, so that definitely contributed to their overall performance).

Remembering a few others, I know the football/volleyball duo skit was very sweet, the football players being nerds and the volleyball players the pretty, popular crowd all the poor nerds wanted to get with. The cheerleading team…yikes. I don’t know if it was because the lighting was so good on the stage of Hill auditorium and/or because I am used to seeing them from a distance at football games, but it was a little more than brutal to watch. As the girls were hoisted on the shoulders of their stud-ly gentlemen, they shook and swayed until at the last final pose, the music stopped, but their momentum didn’t as the two end-girls actually toppled over. I think I shrieked a little, but was relieved to see the mat beneath them caught their falls – or, at least softened it a smidge. And women’s golf was painful too, unfortunately. They did a sort of- cutesy version of Legally Blonde’s “Bend and Snap” scene; however, the nasty recording and bad acting left a lot to be desired. Thank goodness they’re so good at golf because acting is quite honestly not a good option for any of them.

All in all, a fabulous job and I was so proud to be a wolverine last night, seeing all the dedication the athletes put in to this fundraiser and to their jobs as representatives of the university. It was an amazingly fun night, and I’m so glad I went. I’ll be sure to be there again next year!